Mystery of La Llorona
The folklore of La Llorona
Abstract
The origin of the story served a purpose to keep kids from wandering off at night. However, today folklore has progressed into many diverse forms that serve a variety of moral lessons. From personal experience in family tradition to widespread media access La Llorona lives on to impact communities predominantly in South American countries, and bordering United States. La Llorona's origin has documentation from the 1500s and has shaped Mexican and Spanish culture. However, the oral sharing of folklore stories has shifted geographically as it gained popularity. This folklore ties with many traditional values and beliefs within these cultures.
What is La Llorona Folklore?
La Llorona also known as the weeping woman is a legendary tale that takes many forms. The most common is the tale of a woman who is angry and saddened by her husband leaving her. In a fit of rage and revenge, she drowns her children in a river or body of water. Today it is said her ghostly figure remains in the Mexican waters wailing or crying for her children. However, she is a warning for children not to go off from their homes by bodies of water because La Llorona is always wandering. Other lesser-known versions depict La Llorona as a victim, that the weeping woman had a spike of insanity and after realizing what she has done always looks for her children. The lessons differentiate between the versions of the story. Some teach children to stay close to home to prevent wandering off at night alone, others teach about controlling emotions and the impact it can have.
How it is Practiced
The legend of La Llorona is not practiced in a religious or spiritual belief although tied to religion through modern movies. This practice is rather informal but is shared through festivals, plays, and most commonly storytelling. La Llorona can even be a part of people's cultural identity. Many families explain they first heard of La Llorona from their parents as a cautionary tale to not be out late at night. Others practice La Llorona as a ghost story to tell by the fire. What has helped keep the legend of La Llorona alive for so long are the moral lessons and cultural identity tied to Latin America.
Who Practices it?
Although La Llorona originated in Latin America, specifically regions of Mexico and Central America it has spread even to southwestern United States. These are the places that have a large amount of Hispanic population. However, due to modern media, La Llorona's story has spread globally to at least a basic understanding. A modern movie titled "The Curse of La Llorona" shows the story as a terrifying nightmare, but still introduces those same lessons from the original version. Due to the legend of la Llorona being quite informal, almost anyone can practice telling the stories but it remains much stronger in Latin America. The reasoning for this is because of the locational attachment to La Llorona which loses its moral value such as not being out late at night. With the typical passing down of the folklore being oral this is the cause of multiple versions for La Llorona.
The Significance
La Llorona reflects broader cultural themes and historical experiences within Latin American societies. This legend intersects with themes of colonization, oppression, and exploration of indigenous people. She serves as a cultural mark, connecting people to their ancestry and cultural identity. Passed down orally for generations La Llorona helps tie a community of Latin Americans and Hispanics together. This reinforces cultural bonds and builds a collective memory. With how long the legend has lasted it has proved to be adaptable, staying relevant with modern technology and cultures. However, it still has maintained its original principles. Overall La Llorona serves as a symbol embodying critical emotions such as love, grief, loss, and redemption. The story is true example of the power folklore can have even through simple story telling.
References
Hayes, Joe. “La Llorona.” Google Books, 2008.
Lompoc, Nisi. “La Llorona - Weeping Woman of the Southwest.” Legends of America.
Perez, Domino Renee. 2008. There Was a Woman: La Llorona from Folklore to Popular Culture. Google Books
Sims, M. C., & Stephens, M. (2011). Living folklore: An introduction to the study of people and their traditions. Utah State University Press.
Taussig, M. (2010). The devil and commodity fetishism in South America. University of North Carolina Press.
Winick, Stephen. “La Llorona: An Introduction to the Weeping Woman: Folklife Today.” The Library of Congress, October 13, 2021.
Wolfson, Sarah Quinones. “Traitor, Ghost, Feminist Icon: Reclaiming the Stories of La Llorona.” Los Angeles Times, October 16, 2023.